COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR GEOSCIENCE PROGRAMS

IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

PETROLEUM POLICY AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Sulu Sea – East Palawan Basins:

Frontier Basin Case Study

by

Ranilo P. Abando

&

Guillermo H. Ansay

Department of Energy

Philippines

September 2002
 Abstract
The Sulu Sea – East Palawan Basins case study would deal with the resource
evaluation, development strategies and management of petroleum resources of
frontier or less mature basin.

The Sulu Sea basin consists of the Sandakan sub-basin while the East Palawan basin
is divided into the Balabac and Bancauan sub-basins. The Sulu Sea basin extends to
the northeast portion of Sabah where there have been gas discoveries. The three
petroleum play types identified in the basin are carbonate reef build-ups, anticlines
and fault blocks. The anticlines and fault block plays have been confirmed by the
discoveries made in the Malaysian side of the basin. The total estimated resource
(undiscovered) in the Sulu Sea Basin is around 203 million barrels of oil equivalent
(MBOE).

On the other hand, the plays identified in the East Palawan basin are the anticlines,
stratigraphic and carbonate reef build-ups. All these are unconfirmed. The basin has
been estimated to contain a total of 443 MBOE.
1. Introduction
The Sulu Sea basin that was originally proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE)
and later on chosen to be one of the four case studies for the Petroleum Policy and
Management Project (PPM) of the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience
Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) spans three sub-basins, namely, the
Balabac, Bancauan and Sandakan sub-basins. However, with the redelineation of the
country’s sedimentary basins under the recently concluded Philippine Resource
Assessment Project (PhilPRA), the three sub-basins are now covered by two basins,
the East Palawan basin (Bancauan and Balabac sub-basins) and the Sulu Sea basin
(Sandakan sub-basin).

With this development, the DOE would like to redefine its proposal for the case study
to cover both basins (Sulu Sea and East Palawan basins). Although there will be a
considerable change in terms of aerial coverage (from 60,000 sq km for the original
Sulu Sea basin to a total of 207,000 sq km covering 115,000 sq km for the present
Sulu Sea basin and 92,000 sq km for the East Palawan basin), the work program
originally proposed essentially remains the same as the prospects and leads identified
by the PhilPRA team are well within the confines of the three sub-basins.

The Sulu Sea – East Palawan Basins case study represents a frontier area for the PPM
Project. The main objective of this case study will be to address the geological
uncertainties of such an area; to evaluate the existing incentives and to propose
changes; to establish strategies to attract companies to explore in such frontier areas;
and to evaluate the potential impact of the changes and strategies to the petroleum
industry in the country.

The basins were selected because of the following reasons: the resource assessment
results of the PhilPRA project can be used; it covers a large offshore area in the
Philippines and most of it is in deep water; the area is densely covered with seismic
data including some 2,000 square kilometers of 3D and additional 5,740 line
kilometers of newly acquired 2D data; the basin has a complex geology; part of the
basin is on the Malaysian side; and the possibility of Malaysia, a CCOP member
country, participating in this case study.

This presentation will show the result of the basin evaluation. It will be divided into
several topics that include the basin description, tectonic history, stratigraphy, and
petroleum system, play types, the resource assessment results and the data available
for this study. The fiscal regime in the Philippines will be briefly discussed including
the existing gas infrastructure in the Philippines.
2. Basin Description
The Sulu Sea – East Palawan
Basins are located at the Figure 1. Location
southwest portion of the
Philippines (covered by the
blue polygon in Figure 1).
The basins are bounded to the
northwest by the Palawan
Island, to the southeast by the
Sulu Archipelago and to the
southwest by the continental
island of Borneo. The total
area of the basins is about
207,000 sq km representing
the 115,000 sq km Sulu Sea
basin with maximum
sediment thickness of about
6.0 kilometers and 92,000 sq
km East Palawan basin with
maximum sediment thickness
of 3.5 kilometers.

The Sulu Sea-East Palawan

Basins are oriented northeast-
southwest. The Balabac and
Bancauan sub-basins of the
East Palawan basin are
divided by the Banggi Ridge
and separated from the Sulu Sea basin’s Sandakan sub-basin by the Keenapusan
Ridge. These basins are within the 200-meter bathymetric contour except for the
northeast and southeast portion where water depth ranges from 1,000 - 2,000 meters
to as much as 5000 meters near the Sulu Trench.

The East Palawan basin is considered a forearc basin that resulted from the
subduction of the Palawan Trench with the Cagayan Ridge which is the related
volcanic arc (Taylor & Hayes; 1980, 1983). The northeast portion extends near the
Mindoro-Cuyo Platform and Panay Island. The Sulu Sea basin, on the other hand, is a
delta superimposed on a back-arc basin. It extends from the northeast portion of
Sabah on the Malaysian territory to Negros Trench in central Philippines. The
northeast deeper portion of the basin is oceanic crust; relatively flat and overlain by
thin sedimentary cover.

3.Tectonic Evolution
Good understanding of the tectonic history and the resulting geometry of the basin are
imperative for the definitions of workable play models in resource assessment. The
basins have a complicated history of rifting and compressive deformation that only a
comprehensive interpretation can reveal the structural relationship (Figure 2). We
have used for these basins the already established models of the tectonic evolution of
South China Sea and Sulu Sea Basin made by Taylor and Hayes (1980 and 1983),
Holloway (1982), Rangin, et. al. (1990), Hinz, et. al (1991), and Schluter, et. al.
(1996).

A Mesozoic Proto-South China

Sea (PSCS) existed between the
North Palawan Continental Terrane Figure 2 Structural Map
(NPCT) in the north and the
Borneo microcontinental plate
(BMP) in the south. The NPCT
was a fore-arc area of Asian
mainland from Middle Jurassic
through Middle Cretaceous while
the BMP comprised southern
Sabah, Cagayan Ridge and the
Sulu Archipelago.

Back-arc rifting of the NPCT and

thermal uplift and erosion occurred
in the Late Cretaceous. Stretching
of NPCT presumably stopped in
the Early Paleocene prior to the
formation of an oceanic lithosphere
in the South China Sea. The failed
rift basin was abandoned, subsided
and was filled with clastic, paralic
to shallow marine sediments from
Paleocene to Middle Eocene.
Rifting of the NPCT and
anticlockwise rotation of the BMP induced subduction of the PSCS in Late Eocene.

Continued plate convergence along the eastern margin and marked change of
direction of Pacific Plate movement caused the jump of the subduction zone along the
western proto-China margin towards the south Mesozoic oceanic crust and the change
of subduction direction to the south. There was obduction of ophiolites and other
igneous oceanic rock of the Chert-Spillite Formation.

Further rifting and stretching led to additional thinning of the continental crust in the
Late Eocene-Middle Oligocene. Spreading in South China Sea since the Middle
Oligocene intensified subduction north of the approaching BMP. Rotation of the
microcontinent and collision of the northeast portion with the central Philippines
initiated the opening of the Sandakan sub-basin by splitting into the southern Sulu
Ridge and the northern Cagayan Ridge presumably during Late Oligocene. The
collision resulted in the formation of the Borneo-Sulu collisional belt. The Crocker
sediments were deposited on the leading edge of the southward drifting
microcontinental margin between west Mindoro, Palawan, and Borneo.

Collision of the Cagayan Ridge with the NPCT in the late Early Miocene and with
central Philippines in the Middle or Late Miocene initiated subduction of the
Sandakan sub-basin along Sulu Trench and Negros Trench. South China Sea
spreading ceased at the same time with the right-lateral movement along the Ulugan
Fault System at around 15.5 Ma year.

Development of imbricated oceanic crustal sheets in the Balabac and Bancauan sub-
basins, their piercing into the wedge of the Crocker and Chert-Spillite Formations,
their obduction further onto the microcontinent between Mindoro and northeast
Borneo including back-thrust formation were the main events during the Middle
Miocene. The inferred northward continuation of the Sandakan sub-basin through
Panay was closed during Late Miocene and Pliocene.
4. Stratigraphy
The chronostratigraphic relationship is a key knowledge in the analysis of a basin.
This allows for the identification of play elements, reservoir, source and seal and
analyzes their relationship. For both basins, the formation names were adopted from
the stratigraphic nomenclature used by the Malaysian Geological Survey in Borneo
Region (BED et.al, 1986).

Figure 3a. Generalized Stratigraphy of the Sulu Sea Basin

Figure 3b. Generalized Stratigraphy of the East Palawan Basin

Crystalline Basement is found in the northeast and central Tawi-Tawi and

neighboring island consisting of serpentinites and peridotites. These basement rocks
are pre-Tertiary.

Chert Spillite Formation (Economic Basement) termed by Fitch (1955) outcrops in

Balambangan and Banggi Islands, which is estimated to be 9000 meters thick. It also
outcrops in South Palawan and Balabac area. It is Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene in
age and unconformably overlies the crystalline basement.

Crocker Formation was originally proposed by Wilson (1961) and was extensively
observed in outcrops in Labuk Bay and Banggi area. The thinly bedded sandstones
and shale ranges in thickness from 6000 to 9000 meters and is of Late Eocene to
Oligocene in age.
Segama Group consists of three (3) formations where the majority is found in the area
of the Dent Peninsula. These are the Ayer Formation, Libong Formation and Tongku
Formation. The group is characterized by the presence of abundant submarine
pyroclastic rocks of intermediate to basic composition interbedded with marine clastic
sediments. The Segama Group was derived from the Crocker Formation with
contribution from volcanic activities during their deposition.

Dent Group in the southeastern Dent Peninsula also consists of three (3) formations.
The Sebahat, Ganduman and Togopi Formations. The Sebahat Formations has a
thickness of up to 2300 meters along the western flank of the Sebahat anticline. This
deltaic deposit was accompanied by distal reef growth sometimes on subsiding
volcanic high (Che Mat Zin, 1994). This was followed by the deposition of the sandy
southeast prograding Ganduman Formation. After a phase of major uplift and erosion
in the Early Pliocene, the marine Togopi Formation was deposited. Ganduman and
Togopi Formation have estimated thickness of 1400 meters and 400 meters,
respectively. The provenance for both the Sebahat and Ganduman is believed to be
the Older Sebahat or Tanjong Formation Equivalent. The age of the Dent Group
ranges from Late Miocene to Pleistocene and unconformably overlies the Segama
Group.
5. Petroleum System
The petroleum system is defined as the set of geological factors that when combined
give the conditions necessary for hydrocarbon accumulations. By understanding the
petroleum system in the basin, the potential resources generated, migrated and trapped
can be assessed properly.

5.1 Source Rocks

Potential source rocks in the basins consist of Early to Late Miocene sediments. These
sections penetrated by the wells drilled in the basins have been analyzed for total
organic content (TOC), pyrolysis and visual kerogen analyses.

The Early Miocene section shows very poor source quality with very lean organic
carbon content.

The gray shales in the Middle Miocene section show average to above average
organic content with vitrinitic kerogens present. It has fair to good hydrocarbon
generating potential if it reaches optimum maturity.

Results of analysis from Coral–1 well indicate a different proportion with oil-prone
amorphous kerogen predominating over the gas-prone vitrinites. They are marginally
mature in the analyzed section of Coral-1 well. Lateral equivalents of these shales in a
deeper more thermally mature regime could be considered as fair to good oil and gas
source rocks.

The Late Miocene section contains predominantly humic kerogen with poor to fair
hydrocarbon source potential at optimum maturity. In Clotilde-1, 389-1 and Coral-1
wells, the analyzed shales are rich in organic carbon containing herbaceous-woody
kerogen with fair quantities of waxy sapropel capable of generating gas and heavy oil.
These source rocks are at an early mature stage but if lateral equivalents were
sufficiently buried, it could generate fair to good quantities of gas and heavy oil.

5.2 Reservoir Rocks

Sulu Sea Basin

Early to Middle Miocene quartzose sandstone section penetrated by 333-1 well with
gross thickness of 1300m show porosities in the range of 17-18% and permeabilities
between 30 and 107md based on core analysis. The oil show logged in this well
occurred in this interval. The 409-1 well also encountered thick inner neritic porous
sandstone with thickness of 1650m and measured porosities of sidewall cores between
18 to 24%. Log calculations indicate 12 to 21% with the wet gas shows recorded
within this section. Porosities of 13 to 22% were calculated from log of the Sentry
Bank-1 well. These data are all from the wells drilled in Sandakan sub-basin.

Late Miocene rocks encountered in Sandakan sub-basin showed measured or log

derived porosities of 19-35% in 333-1 well; 11-26% in 409-1 well; 18-25% in
Clotilde-1 well and 20-34% in Sentry Bank-1 well.

East Palawan Basin

In the Balabac sub-basin, predominantly fine-grained clastic facies were encountered

in Coral-1 well. Potential reservoir rocks from Sulu Sea A-1 well in Bancauan sub-
basin gave porosity estimates of 22-30% and low permeability on the drill stem test
conducted on the thin Middle Miocene sandy limestone. Middle Miocene sandstone
from Sulu Sea B-1 well sidewall cores showed porosities in the range of 27 to 31%.

5.3 Seals

Potential seals are mostly interbedded claystones and siltstones overlying the Sebahat
Formation or its equivalent for the Early to Middle Miocene reservoir rocks.
Interbedded sections of claystones, shales and siltstones encountered in the Sandakan
sub-basin wells are all potential seals for the Late Miocene reservoir rocks.

6. Petroleum Play types

The petroleum play types identified in the Sulu Sea basin are the carbonate reef build-
up (RB), anticline (AN) and fault block (FB) plays. The confirmation of the AN and
FB plays was based on the Nymphe North – 1 oil and gas discovery and Nymphe – 1
gas producer which are both on the Malaysian side of the basin. The RB play is yet to
be confirmed in the basin.

In the East Palawan basin, the three petroleum play types identified are the carbonate
build-up (RB), anticline (AN) and stratigraphic (ST) plays. None of these has been
confirmed in the basin

6.1 Prospect and Leads

The PhilPRA Project compiled 21 structures in the Sulu Sea basin consisting of 18
prospects (10 FB, 4 RB and 4 AN) and 3 leads (1 FB and 2 RB). The average
probability of discovery in the basin is 5%.

The 24 structures mapped in the East Palawan basin consist of 20 prospects (16 AN, 2
ST and 2 RB) and 4 AN leads. The average probability of discovery in the basin is
4%.

7. Resource Assessment
7.1 Estimated Resources

All of the structures in the Sulu Sea-East Palawan Basins were analyzed
probabilistically using GeoX software and were risked according to the Philippine
Play and Prospect Risk System. The calculated resource volumes were then classified
according to the Philippine Petroleum Resource Classification System.

For the Sulu Sea basin, the hypothetical (mapped) resources are estimated at 109
MBOE while the speculative (unmapped) resources is 94 MBOE for a total of 203
MBOE. For the East Palawan basin, the estimated resources (undiscovered resources)
are 443 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE). The hypothetical (mapped)
resources are 166 MBOE while the speculative (unmapped) resources have a total of
277 MBOE.
7.1.a Sulu Sea Basin Total Resources
Total Oil Gas Total
Million Million Billion Million
Sm3 o.e. Sm3 Sm3 bbl o.e.
Resource Class (Mean) (Mean) (Mean) (Mean)

Total Resources 32 21 11 203

Undiscovered Resources (U) 32 21 11 203
Hypothetical (Mapped) Resources (U.1) 17 11 6 109
Prospects (U.1.1) 14 8 6 89
Leads (U.1.2) 3 3 0 20
Speculative (Unmapped) Resources
(U.2) 15 10 5 94

7.1.a East Palawan Basin Total Resources

Total Oil Gas Total
Million Million Billion Million
Sm3 o.e. Sm3 Sm3 bbl o.e.
Resource Class (Mean) (Mean) (Mean) (Mean)

Total Resources 70 51 20 443

Undiscovered Resources (U) 70 51 20 443
Hypothetical (Mapped) Resources (U.1) 26 19 8 166
Prospects (U.1.1) 24 17 7 152
Leads (U.1.2) 2 2 1 15
Speculative (Unmapped) Resources (U.2) 44 32 12 277

8. Data Availability
8.1 Seismic

The first geophysical survey

conducted in the basins was in Figure 4. Seismic Coverage Map
1965 by the Visayan Exploration
Company. From 1965 to 1972,
the total seismic data acquired in
the basin was 12,977 line-
kilometers. Geophysical offshore
surveys were continued
periodically from 1973 to 1997.
Detailed grids of 2D surveys with
average line spacing of 2
kilometers cover large parts of the
basin (BED, 1986). In 1998, 3D
seismic acquisition was carried
out by ARCO. This brought the
total 2D data to about 48,200 line
kilometers and 2,000 square
kilometer of 3D in the Sulu Sea
Basin (Figure 4). An additional
5,740 line kilometers of 2D data
were acquired by ARCO recently.
9. Fiscal Regime
The Service Contract system was introduced in 1972 under the Presidential Decree No. 87
also known as “The Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972”. Under this system,
the government award contracts such as the Non-exclusive Geophysical Permit (NGP),
Geophysical Survey and Exploration Contract (GSEC) and the Service Contract (SC) to
qualified petroleum companies to undertake petroleum exploration, development and
production. This system also provides incentives to attract investors in the petroleum
industry. Below are the incentives given to petroleum prospective investors:

• Service fee of up to 40% of

the net production.
• Cost reimbursement of up to
70% gross production with
carry-forward of unrecovered
costs.
• Filipino Participation
Incentive Allowance (FPIA)
PHILIPPINE
grants of up to 7.5% of the
gross proceeds for service
contract with minimum
Filipino participation of 15%.
• Exemption from all taxes
except income tax.
• Income tax obligation paid
out of government’s share.
• Exemption from all taxes and
duties for importation of
materials and equipment for
petroleum operations.
• Easy repatriation of
investments and profits.
• Free market determination of
crude oil prices’ i.e., prices
realized in a transaction between independent persons dealing at arms-length.
• Special income tax rate of 8% of gross Philippine income for subcontractors.
• Special income tax rate of 15% of Philippine income for foreign employees of service
contractors and subcontractors.

The Philippine Fiscal Terms in comparison with other countries is one of the most
attractive in Asia. Although the company exploring for petroleum takes all the risk, the
contractor’s total take may reach as high as 83% after the deduction of the government
share and taxes.
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A
AA
A
A O
O
O
O
O
OO
O
O

Ilijan, and San Lorenzo

o.
DD
DD
Da
Daa
aa
ava
va
va
vao
va
va oo
oo
o
DD
Daaava
va
va oo

O
ORR IIE
ENN TTAA LL

T
S

M
M IN
IN D DO
OR ROO

I
A
555°°°N
N
N
T

R
R
ROOM
MBBLLO
ONN
BR
B
B RU
R UN
U NE
N EIII
E

T
power plants located in

S
R

C ELE BES S EA SSIB

IBU
UYYA
ANN
MA
M
M ALLLA
A AY
A YS
Y SIA
S IA
IA IS
ISLLA
ANND
D
A

IN
IND
IN
IN
IN
IN DD
DO
D
D O
ON
O
O
O N
NE
N
N
N E
ES
E
E
E S
SIA
S
S
S IA
IA
IA
IA
IA

S
A
Batangas producing a

L
I

B
T

A
T
B
BU USSU
UAANNG
GAA
IS
ISLLAANND
D

total of 2700 MW.

1 2 °N

C
CU ULLIO
IONN

Several other power

IS
ISLLAANNDD
J I N T

C H

plants are also being

A
AKK LLA
ANN

considered to develop P H IL IP P IN E N A T U R A L G A S IN F R A S T R U C T U R E
R E P U B L IC O F T H E P H IL IP P IN E S
DEPART M ENT O F E NERGY
G E O D A T A A N D IN F O R M A T IO N
S E R V IC E S D IV IS IO N

the natural gas industry

in Luzon.
 References

Bureau of Energy Development (Philippines)/World Bank, 1986, Sedimentary Basins of

the Philippines, Their Geology and Hydrocarbon Potential, Basins of Sulu Sea,
Palawan and Mindoro, Volume IV

Che Mat Zin, I., 1994, Dent Group and its equivalent in the offshore Kinabatangan area,
East Sabah, Geol. Soc. Malaysia, Bulletin 36, p 127-143

Comexco, Inc., 1993, Hydrocarbon Potential of the Sibutu Block (Philodrill GSEC-70),
Southeast Sulu Sea, Farmout Proposal

Comexco, Inc., 1995, Hydrocarbon Potential and Play Attributes of the Sibutu Block (for
Philodrill Corp.)

Department of Energy, 2002, Philippine Petroleum Resource Assessment, Methods and

Santa Rita, Procedures, Vol. 2d
San Lorenzo
1500 MW, ETTEA Corporation, 1993, Technical Evaluation of the Sibutu Trough for Palawan Oil
2002 and Gas Exploration, Inc.

Hinz, K. et. al, 1991, Structural Elements of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, Geol Jb A 127, p
483-506

Holloway, N. H., 1982, North Palawan Block, Philippines – Its Relation to Asian
Mainland and Role in the Evolution of South China Sea, AAPG, Vol. 66, No. 9,
p.1355-1383
Additional Occidental International Exploration and Production Company, 1992, Sandakan Basin
Exploration Study, Southwestern Sulu Sea

Pecten International, 1988, Philippine Sale 1988, Sandakan Basin Sulu Sea

Schluter, H. U., Hinz, K. & Block, M., 1995, Tectono-stratigraphic terranes and
detachment faulting of the South China Sea and Sulu Sea, Marine Geology 130
(1996), p 39-78

Sedimentary Basins of the Philippines, Their Geology and Hydrocarbon Potential, Volume
III, Basins of Visayas and Mindanao, 1986, Bureau of Energy Development,
Robertson Research (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Flower Doery Buchan Pty. Ltd.

Taylor, B & Hayes, D. E., 1980, Tectonic Evolution of the South China Sea Basin, Am.,
Geophys. Union, Geophysical Monograph, 23: p 89-104

Taylor, B & Hayes, D. E., 1983, Origin and History of the South China Sea Basin, Am.,
Geophys. Union, Geophysical Monograph, 27: p 23-56

Teknika Overseas Ltd, 1993, Hydrocarbon Prospectivity Assessment of Selected Basins

for Petro-Canada, PNOC-EC and DoE

The Philodrill Corporation, 2000, Final Exploration Report on the Geology and
Hydrocarbon Potential of the Sibutu Block, Southern Philippines